Appliances

In a midcentury home renovation in California, HenryBuilt created the custom cabinetry in walnut and white laminate, and Heath Ceramics dimensional wall tiles give a nod to the home's modern architecture.

Aaron and Yuka Ruell transformed a 1950s Portland ranch house into a retro-inspired family home with plenty of spaces for their four children to roam. In the kitchen, interior designer Emily Knudsen Leland replaced purple laminate cabinets with flat-sawn eastern walnut, and added PentalQuartz countertops in polished Super White for contrast. The kitchen island is clad with original red tiles, and hanging cabinets above it were removed to maximize light and family-room views.

The curved blue kitchen larder has a projecting “nose” that illuminates the worktop and a mirrored eye that “winks” each time the door is opened.

In an effort to keep costs within budget without sacrificing looks, the fully gutted and renovated kitchen features IKEA cabinetry framework with shaker-style fronts by Semihandmade. The cabinets were painted Farrow & Ball Pigeon.

A trio of Norman counter stools by Rove Concepts sits underneath Cast pendant lights by Menu in the kitchen. Estate Interiors crafted the custom range hood.

New custom walnut cabinetry syncs with the rest of the built-ins throughout the home, to create a pleasing rhythm in the open plan. The backsplash is Heath Ceramics tile, and the counter is Pental Quartz. Open shelves at the rear overlook a cozy den, and allow sightlines out the new windows at the front of the home.

MGS Spin D

The renovated parlor-level is a completely open space from front to back, with a door to a balcony that steps down to the garden.

Recycled Altrock work surfaces and larch cabinetry define the kitchen design.

Rendered in sharp blue, the timeless motif of Greek Key is used as this kitchen's backsplash. The two-tone pattern is playful and modern against the more traditional white cabinets with molding and raised panels.

The owners of this home selected a geometric-patterned glass tile backsplash by Island Stone. The glass tile keeps the space bright, and the pattern adds interest.

The kitchen anchors the home as the central hub — cementing its importance in the family’s life. With light streaming in from the skylight above, a circular island includes recessed Bocci outlets at the perimeter to power dedicated workstations for Meera’s baking classes. “I love the kitchen. It’s probably my favorite spot,” she says. “Baking brings me joy.”

Raising the cabinet height and installing new color-blocked Richlite counters and full-height backsplash help the kitchen feel larger.

The solid support wall was swapped out for a wood slat wall. Dunn Edwards “Revival Rose,” an update on the terracotta color, was used to define the kitchen from the rest of the home.

In the first phase of the remodel, the couple completed one side of the kitchen, as the stair redesign was part of the upstairs overhaul. The kitchen is composed of Ikea cabinets with Caesarstone counters.

“I don’t paint landscapes when I’m here because I can’t compete with the natural beauty,” says Yael.

The wall between the dining room and kitchen was opened up to increase the flow and make room for an extra-long island that totals fifty linear feet of counterspace. At the center of the plan is the slatted woodwork that covers a core for the kitchen storage, a bathroom, and a laundry room. “That became a wonderful opportunity for a beautiful wood feature,” says Maziarski.

The kitchen now occupies the addition, and the island was detailed to look like a piece of furniture to better meld with the living room. The cabinet colors are Farrow & Ball’s Skimming Stone and Sherwin-Williams’s Garden Gate, and were handpainted instead of spray-finished, so as "not to have something too slick or sterile," says VW. "We wanted them to be warm and have personality."